Pitheciine Action Group
Conservation of the Pitheciins, from Rhetoric to Reality
Ferrari, S.F. & M.M. Oliveira
Conservation of the pitheciins is synonymous with the conservation of
the Amazon forest, a complex issue requiring a variety of strategies.
Scenarios range from vast areas of pristine forest to “hotspots” of
deforestation, which threaten local endemics. Some species, such as
Chiropotes satanas, are already in danger of extinction due to extensive
habitat loss within a relatively restricted geographic range, and hunting
pressure. Species taxonomy is a basic problem, as demonstrated in this
symposium, and the systematics of all three pitheciin genera require
more definitive revision before it will be possible to implement universal
species-oriented strategies. The relative lack of data on geographic
distribution and ecological parameters is also restrictive, especially given
the variation observed recently in parameters such as home range size.
Conservation in Brazil – where the majority of pitheciins are found – has
advanced considerably in recent years with the implementation of an
integrated national system of conservation units and the establishment
of the National Primate Protection Centre. While coordinating efforts, and
in particular encouraging local and private conservation initiatives, there
is a substantial deficit of manpower and resources, especially considering
the extension of the region. Current priorities must include the
hotspots, such as the “southern rim”, where there is an urgent need for
the management of habitat fragmentation, but also research, focusing
on the least well-known and the more endangered taxa.
Return to symposium programme
Ferrari, S.F. & M.M. Oliveira
Conservation of the pitheciins is synonymous with the conservation of
the Amazon forest, a complex issue requiring a variety of strategies.
Scenarios range from vast areas of pristine forest to “hotspots” of
deforestation, which threaten local endemics. Some species, such as
Chiropotes satanas, are already in danger of extinction due to extensive
habitat loss within a relatively restricted geographic range, and hunting
pressure. Species taxonomy is a basic problem, as demonstrated in this
symposium, and the systematics of all three pitheciin genera require
more definitive revision before it will be possible to implement universal
species-oriented strategies. The relative lack of data on geographic
distribution and ecological parameters is also restrictive, especially given
the variation observed recently in parameters such as home range size.
Conservation in Brazil – where the majority of pitheciins are found – has
advanced considerably in recent years with the implementation of an
integrated national system of conservation units and the establishment
of the National Primate Protection Centre. While coordinating efforts, and
in particular encouraging local and private conservation initiatives, there
is a substantial deficit of manpower and resources, especially considering
the extension of the region. Current priorities must include the
hotspots, such as the “southern rim”, where there is an urgent need for
the management of habitat fragmentation, but also research, focusing
on the least well-known and the more endangered taxa.
Return to symposium programme
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SYMPOSIUM
Pitheciins: Ecology & Conservation
XXI Congress of the International Primatological Society
Pitheciins: Ecology & Conservation
XXI Congress of the International Primatological Society
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